Crocs screws up David Bowie tribute in a big way

Heartfelt tributes poured out from across the web on Monday after news broke that rock icon David Bowie had died of cancer at the age of 69.

But one of the less welcome sources of mourning was the Twitter accounts of major brands, some of whom paid their respect to the late rock star in the same rote way they tend to weigh in on any topic galvanizing the Internet's attention at a particular moment.

Images of tributes for Bowie:

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David Bowie tributes

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Crocs screws up David Bowie tribute in a big way

Floral tributes are left beneath a mural of British singer David Bowie, painted by Australian street artist James Cochran, aka Jimmy C, following the announcement of Bowie's death, in Brixton, south London, on January 11, 2016. British music icon David Bowie died of cancer at the age of 69, drawing an outpouring of tributes for the innovative star famed for groundbreaking hits like 'Ziggy Stardust' and his theatrical shape-shifting style. AFP PHOTO / CHRIS RATCLIFFE
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE, MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION, TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION / AFP / CHRIS RATCLIFFE (Photo credit should read CHRIS RATCLIFFE/AFP/Getty Images)

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: Fans lay flowers at the doorstep at the building where British musician David Bowie once lived following the announcement of his death on January 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Bowie lived and composed in West Berlin in the late 1970s. He died at the age of 69 following an 18-month struggle against cancer. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Tributes are left outside 40 Stansfield Road, Brixton, London, the former home of David Bowie, after the rock star died following an 18-month battle with cancer.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: A portrait of British musician David Bowie peaks from behind flowers and candles left by fans at the doorstep at the building where he once lived following the announcement of his death on January 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Bowie lived and composed in West Berlin in the late 1970s. He died at the age of 69 following an 18-month struggle against cancer. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 11: David Bowie fans pay their respects at his mural in Brixton, where he was born, in London, England on January 11, 2016. Music legend David Bowie died when he was 69 years old, after suffering from cancer. (Photo by Tolga Akmen/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

David-Bowie-fan Dirk Turnage puts down a tribute to British rock legend David Bowie outside his former home in Berlin's Hauptstrasse 155 on January 11, 2016.
British rock music legend David Bowie has died after a long battle with cancer, his official Twitter and Facebook accounts said. / AFP / ODD ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

A painting and a candle are left below a mural of David Bowie on the wall of a Morley's store in Brixton, London, the singers birthplace, after the rock star died following an 18-month battle with cancer.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 11: David Bowie fans pay their respects at his mural in Brixton, where he was born, in London, England on January 11, 2016. Music legend David Bowie died when he was 69 years old, after suffering from cancer. (Photo by Tolga Akmen/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Tributes are left beneath a mural of British singer David Bowie, following the announcement of Bowie's death, in Brixton, south London, on January 11, 2016. British music icon David Bowie died of cancer at the age of 69, drawing an outpouring of tributes for the innovative star famed for groundbreaking hits like 'Ziggy Stardust' and his theatrical shape-shifting style. AFP PHOTO / CHRIS RATCLIFFE / AFP / CHRIS RATCLIFFE (Photo credit should read CHRIS RATCLIFFE/AFP/Getty Images)

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 10: David Bowie remembered on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images)

Tributes to British rock legend David Bowie are seen outside his former home in Berlin's Hauptstrasse 155 on January 11, 2016.
British rock music legend David Bowie has died after a long battle with cancer, his official Twitter and Facebook accounts said. / AFP / ODD ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

A man with his dog pats the door frame walking past tribute to British rock legend David Bowie left outside his former home in Berlin's Hauptstrasse 155 on January 11, 2016.
British rock music legend David Bowie has died after a long battle with cancer, his official Twitter and Facebook accounts said. / AFP / ODD ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: A photograph of British musician David Bowie lies among flowers and candles left by fans at the doorstep at the building where he once lived following the announcement of his death on January 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Bowie lived and composed in West Berlin in the late 1970s. He died at the age of 69 following an 18-month struggle against cancer. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A woman lays flowers underneath a commemorative plaque to David Bowie's iconic creation, Ziggy Stardust, in Heddon Street, London, marking the 40th anniversary of the album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, after the rock star died following an 18-month battle with cancer.

Flowers are left underneath a commemorative plaque to David Bowie's iconic creation, Ziggy Stardust, in Heddon Street, London, marking the 40th anniversary of the album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, after the rock star died following an 18-month battle with cancer.

Flowers are left below a mural of David Bowie on the wall of a Morley's store in Brixton, London, the singers birthplace, after the rock star died following an 18-month battle with cancer.

Tributes are left beneath a mural of British singer David Bowie, following the announcement of Bowie's death, in Brixton, south London, on January 11, 2016. British music icon David Bowie died of cancer at the age of 69, drawing an outpouring of tributes for the innovative star famed for groundbreaking hits like 'Ziggy Stardust' and his theatrical shape-shifting style. AFP PHOTO / CHRIS RATCLIFFE / AFP / CHRIS RATCLIFFE (Photo credit should read CHRIS RATCLIFFE/AFP/Getty Images)

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TL; DR: the attempts by brands to connect with the global day of mourning around Bowie's passing struck many Twitter users as a crass exploitation of the death of a beloved musician for commercial purposes. (Note to brands: The Man Who Sold the World was not a piece of advice.)

Perhaps an additional dose of irony: Bowie himself worked briefly in the ad industry as a junior visualizer and recollected that he "loathed it."

A handful of other brands -- most of them fashion houses -- managed at least slightly more tasteful tributes, by merit of the fact that their business was at least tangentially related to the singer's career. Pro tip: when mourning a cultural icon, try very hard to keep your product out of it.